Path: utzoo!utgpu!news-server.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!swrinde!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!sdd.hp.com!decwrl!ucbvax!MITCH.ENG.SUN.COM!wmb From: wmb@MITCH.ENG.SUN.COM Newsgroups: comp.lang.forth Subject: (none) Message-ID: <9009070011.AA16819@ucbvax.Berkeley.EDU> Date: 6 Sep 90 17:35:15 GMT Sender: daemon@ucbvax.BERKELEY.EDU Reply-To: wmb%MITCH.ENG.SUN.COM@SCFVM.GSFC.NASA.GOV Organization: The Internet Lines: 17 > 4. History of CREATE: Historically (1971 and many years since), it's the > primitive for making the head part of definitions, using WORD to parse the > input stream to yield a counted string at HERE, where CREATE then appended a > link and code field. With this model, other defining words use CREATE to make > the head, then substitute another code field, followed by data or execution > tokens. ANS Forth doesn't assume this model, but doesn't preclude it. The trouble with this model is that the "other defining words" don't give you the choice about whether or not to execute CREATE . Thus, for example, ":" always reads the input stream. As stated, ":" is defined as CREATE , but the part of ":" does not exist as a visible primitive. This is an example of where "standard" Forth (pick any standard) is poorly factored. Mitch Bradley, wmb@Eng.Sun.COM